Feeding device of an intra-logistics system

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a feeding device for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting line of an intra-logistics system, including a supply conveyor, a standby circular conveyor having a plurality of transport units, which are arranged spaced apart from one another in a variably conveyable manner, an accumulation section, in which the transport units can be accumulated, an acceleration section, in which the transport units can be accelerated. The supply conveyor is provided with a transfer point, at which the products are transferred to a respective transport unit of the standby circular conveyor. The feeding device is configured such that the feeding device delivers the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a feeding device for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section of an intra-logistics system, an intra-logistics system with a feeding device and a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section, and a method of operating the intra-logistics system.

Discussion of Related Art

Intralogistics frequently involve transfer processes in which the correct feeding of products plays an important role. Depending on the application, different requirements can be made in terms of correct feeding, such as high positional accuracy, for example, under different conditions such as at high conveying speeds, for example.

Special aspects result in the product compilation, e.g. post-press processing, in which ever greater demands are being made with increasing regionalization and/or personalization of the editorial content of the products but, in particular, of the advertising inserts. On the one hand, there is a need to increase the processing capacity in order to increase profitability; on the other hand, individualized products should also be assembled for the distribution routes faultlessly in the correct sequence, preferably in packages, with the smallest possible amount of manual work and made ready for despatch.

In the highly competitive advertising market, ever greater demands are made of print advertising suppliers and therefore of post-press processing and fewer and fewer errors are tolerated. In order to be able to use the advertising budget as effectively as possible, an increasing proportion of advertising customers are asking for printed advertising, in other words primarily printed products, but also product samples and data carriers, to be made customer- or target group-specific. The more expensive the individual advertising medium, the greater the pressure for the target group to be specifically identifiable.

For post-press processing, this means that individualized, i.e. target-specifically compiled, printed products have to be produced for a given distribution route faultlessly and, in addition, in the correct product sequence and processed into packages.

Since advertising customers only accept very low error rates (in the low thousandth range), errors in the compilation of products must be avoided or must undergo time-consuming and expensive rectification by hand.

The need for products to be manufactured with as few errors as possible and, in addition, in the correct product sequence, wherein this is to be carried out at high speed, exists not only in post-press processing, but usually in intra-logistics in general.

Different methods of ensuring that the products are compiled in the correct order or sequence, in order to keep the manual repair work to a minimum, are known from the state of the art.

Hence, for example, WO 2013/159238 proposes a method and a device for creating a product flow from a plurality of product units in a predefined sequence, by means of which defective product units in a sequence can be rectified without interrupting production and also while maintaining the predefined sequence. With this method of creating a synchronized product flow of product units in a predefined sequence, in a first step products are fed to the grouping section of a first conveyor device, then a synchronized product flow of product units is created from the fed products along the grouping section in a predefined sequence and the product units are transferred in the predefined sequence to a transfer conveyor device and transported away in a synchronized product flow.

In the event of errors occurring during the creation of product units, these can be rectified subsequently by the ejection of one or more defective product units at an ejection station. The ejection produces a gap in the synchronized flow of product units which lasts for one or more cycles, depending on the number of defective product units that are fed out. For each defective product unit, a new one is then created. In particular, however, it is proposed that if only individual products in the product unit are missing, the incomplete product units are fed back to the grouping section and completed. The missing or defective products or product units are subsequently correctly prepared in the grouping section and then transferred to the transfer conveyor device. In order for this product unit to be introduced subsequently at the correct position within this sequence to restore the predefined product sequence, a bridging device is provided for in WO 2013/159238 which makes it possible, by bridging a section of the conveyor path of the transfer conveyor device, to feed subsequently to the product gap. In this way, the predefined sequence of product units from the transfer conveyor device is provided in a completely sorted sequence for further processing operations.

The length of the transfer conveyor device bridged by the bridging unit must be at least such as to allow a number of product units to be received which is at least as great as the number of products between a gap and the subsequently produced or corrected product unit. The products are transported in a synchronized manner, evenly spaced apart from one another in the transfer conveyor device. If for example 40 conveying devices for feeding products are arranged on the upper strand of the grouping section, it has a minimum length of 40 cycles. Since the product collections are held following the passage of the upper strand and transported along the lower strand to a delivery point for transfer to the transfer conveyor device, the length increases to at least 80 cycles, in other words the bridged length of the transfer conveying section must be at least 80 cycles long, in order to be able to receive the total number of product units between the gap and the corrected or subsequently produced product unit. In practice, the section will be substantially greater, even with a smaller number of feeding units on the grouping section.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A main error source during the production of product units, preferably printed end products such as collections of main and/or part products, inserts, brochures, cards and the like, lies in the supply of the aforementioned products. Hence, for example, in the case of brochures with poor paper quality, there are frequently errors in the feed device which means that these products cannot be correctly supplied to the collections or product units to be created. The same problem also arises, however, with very high-value products with coatings or products made of smooth sheet material which, on the one hand, is hard to grip and, on the other hand, the sheets often stick to one another due to electrostatic charging.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for creating a product flow from a plurality of product units in a predefined sequence, in which product units can be produced in a predefined sequence with a very low error rate-, wherein the removal of errors during the creation of product units is made possible without the total output or the processing speed of the post-press processing installation having to be substantially reduced.

According to the present invention, these objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments emerge, moreover, from the dependent claims and the description.

The aforementioned objects are achieved, in particular, by the present invention according to a first embodiment, in that a feeding device for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section of an intra-logistics system, comprising a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit with a plurality of transport units which are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another, an accumulation section in which the transport units can be accumulated and an acceleration section in which the transport units can be accelerated, is provided. The supply conveyor has a transfer point at which the products are each transferred to a transport unit of the preparation circuit and wherein the feeding device is configured in such a manner that it delivers the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section.

Where reference is made only to a collecting section below, this also refers to possible embodiments as conveying or processing or packaging or sorting sections.

The feeding device according to the invention and, in particular, the accumulation section and the acceleration section offer the advantage that a high speed and high accuracy, that is positional accuracy, can be achieved when feeding the products.

In a preferred embodiment, the feeding device is configured as an overhead conveying device.

The receiving units may also be purely functional, e.g. configured as portions on a conveyor belt of a collecting section. The portions may be delimited by delimiting means, for example, such as pins.

The acceleration section preferably comprises acceleration means.

Alternatively or in addition, acceleration means independent of the acceleration section can be provided, which acceleration means can move through or along the acceleration section and act as acceleration means when running through or along the acceleration section.

For example, the acceleration means may be arranged on transport units and act as acceleration means when the transport units run through the acceleration section.

In an embodiment, the acceleration means comprise deformable buffer elements which are configured to store deformation energy when a load is applied and to release this again when the load is removed, wherein the buffer element is preferably configured in such a manner as to do mechanical work when the deformation energy is released.

In a further embodiment, an acceleration means comprises a screw conveyor which interacts with the transport units from the accumulation section to accelerate said transport units.

In a further embodiment, the acceleration section may be tilted in such a manner that the gravity acts as an acceleration means.

In a further embodiment, the feeding device has a delivery point for the transport units and a barrier element arranged at the delivery point, wherein the barrier element is configured to block or release the transport units selectively.

In a preferred embodiment, the barrier element is arranged between the accumulation section and the acceleration section.

The accumulation section is preferably arranged upstream of, preferably right at the delivery point of the transfer units. The transport units preferably rest in the accumulation section or are conveyed therein at a reduced speed.

The accumulation section may be advantageously used to isolate and/or separate goods or transport units or for commissioning. Isolating goods or transport units from the accumulation section represents a known problem in intra-logistics. The feeding device according to the invention is particularly suitable for simplifying the isolation of goods or transport units from the accumulation section.

In an embodiment, a plurality of parallel accumulation sections is provided which can be used for the pre-sorting or sorting-out of goods or transport units. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for batch operation, e.g. when conveying clothes on coat hangers.

Gate systems which can divide up and/or assemble the product/goods flow are preferably provided at the parallel accumulation sections.

In an embodiment, a higher-level control device is provided which controls the delivery and/or the division and/or the feeding and/or the loading and/or the unloading of the transport units.

The question of whether goods are brought together and, if so, which, can also be controlled by the control device.

The transport units can advantageously be held back in the accumulation section by blocking by means of the barrier element and, where necessary, released again by the barrier element.

In an embodiment in which the acceleration means comprise buffer elements, successive transport units in the conveying direction abut against one another, when the first transport unit is blocked by the barrier element, in such a manner that at least one buffer element is loaded. The feeding device at the delivery point of the transport units is preferably configured in such a manner that the at least one buffer element is relieved of load when the transport units are released by the barrier element, in such a manner that the buffer element accelerates at least the first transport unit in the conveying direction.

In an embodiment, the feeding device is configured at the delivery point of the transport units, in order to relieve the loaded buffer element during the release of the transport units by the barrier element in such a manner that the buffer element accelerates the transport units sequentially in the conveying direction in each case.

A buffer element of a transport unit which is blocked by the barrier element is usually loaded when the accumulation section is tilted by the mass of the following transport units which abut against the transport unit. The totality of the following transport units in this case form a kind of abutment against which a transport unit can push during the unloading of a deformed buffer element.

A tilting of the portion of the conveyor line in which the transport units abut against one another due to the blocking of the barrier element at the delivery point of the transfer units optionally contributes to the loading of the buffer elements and to the building-up of deformation energy.

This embodiment is therefore advantageous insofar as the deformation energy must not, in addition, be supplied externally (e.g. by a mechanical drive), but can be supplied, in particular, by the mass of the following transport units with or without goods.

The barrier element offers the advantage that the release and unloading of the transport units can be initiated in a controlled manner. During the release, a transport unit or a given designated number of transport units in each case is advantageously accelerated to a predefined speed, wherein the transport unit or the given number of transport units leaves the delivery point of the transport units.

The following transport units abutting against these transport units can contribute to the acceleration on account of their mass. The buffer element which does the acceleration work during unloading through the release of deformation energy, offers the advantage, however, that without an additional supply of external energy (e.g. by a mechanical drive) acceleration of the transport units is made possible, which can be crucial to the further conveying of the transport units. During acceleration of the transport units from a tilted accumulation section, the buffer element facilitates acceleration in addition to the acceleration caused by the tilting and the mass of the following transport units.

This is particularly advantageous in the event that the transport units have to be accelerated from an accumulation section from a standstill and the inertia thereof must be overcome. For transport units without a buffer element, the mass of the following transport units may be inadequate, even with a tilted accumulation section, in order to accelerate the transport units to a necessary speed sufficiently quickly.

In an embodiment of the feeding device, a cyclic feeding device is arranged at the delivery point of the transport units which is used for cyclic feeding the transport units in a portion of the feeding device following the delivery point of the transport units. The cyclic feeding device may accept the transport units which are accelerated from the delivery point of the transport units and deliver them to the following portion.

For a functioning acceptance of the transport units in the cyclic feeding device, a minimum speed of the transport units is advantageous, which can be made possible by the buffer elements according to the invention, for example.

In an embodiment, the cyclic feeding device is a screw conveyor.

The feeding device according to the present disclosure is particularly suitable for a preparation circuit in a post-press processing installation. During the production of printed product collections, in particular, for a specific target group, controlled retention and delivery of transport units with particular printed products is advantageous.

The transport units in this case are usually transferred at the delivery point of the transport units, e.g. of the preparation circuit, to a follow-on conveyor device, e.g. a delivery conveyor. A cyclic feeding device, e.g. a screw conveyor, may interact with the transport units from the accumulation section, in order to accelerate them, wherein for a functioning acceptance, a minimum speed of the transport units at the delivery point of the transport units is advantageous.

In embodiments with buffer elements, the buffer element has the advantage that the transport units at the delivery point of the transport units can be accelerated to a minimum speed, in order to guarantee a faultless acceptance of the transport units by the screw conveyor, wherein a further advantage is that the buffer element can achieve this without an additional external energy supply (e.g. by a mechanical drive).

In further embodiments, the feeding device comprises a running rail, wherein the running rail has sectional gradients in such a manner that the transport units can be driven by gravity.

The running rail is preferably tilted upstream of the delivery point of the transport units in such a manner that the transport units can be driven by gravity.

The tilting of the running rail advantageously contributes to the acceleration of the transport units.

In embodiments with buffer elements, the tilting of the running rail advantageously contributes to the loading of the buffer elements.

In an embodiment, the acceleration means comprises a synchronizing wheel. A synchronizing wheel offers the advantage that in addition to acceleration, cyclic feeding of the transport units can be made possible.

In an embodiment, the feeding device comprises at least sectionally external drives, by means of which the transport units can be driven.

The external drives may be chain drives.

Optionally, external drives are arranged for the striking of the transport units at the delivery point of the transport units.

In embodiments with buffer elements, the external drives can contribute to the loading of the buffer elements.

The feeding device according to the invention offers the advantage of a robust, stable device which does not require time-consuming monitoring, particularly with regard to the transfer of transport units or the conveyed products from the delivery point to a follow-on conveyor device of the intra-logistics system.

In an embodiment, the feeding device comprises a delivery conveyor which is arranged in such a manner in respect of the preparation circuit that the transport units deliver the products to the delivery conveyor and the delivery conveyor delivers the products to designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section.

The preparation circuit is advantageously configured for controlled delivery of the products to the delivery conveyor and/or the delivery conveyor for controlled delivery of products to the designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section.

In an embodiment, a control unit is provided which checks that the transport units of the preparation circuit only leave the transfer point when they have accepted a product. If there is no product to be accepted by a transport unit, holding means are advantageously provided which retain the transport unit at the transfer point and only release it when there is a product there.

In a preferred embodiment, the transport units are conveyable on the preparation circuit independently of one another.

In an embodiment, the transport units of the preparation circuit comprise holding means, preferably hooks or grippers or pockets for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering products. Pockets refer to pockets known to the person skilled in the art in the field of intra-logistics.

In an embodiment, the transport units are configured as carriages with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers or pockets, said carriages being freely moveable on a running rail.

The invention further relates to an intra-logistics system comprising a feeding device according to the present description and a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section with receiving units.

In a preferred embodiment, the intra-logistics system comprises at least one collecting device and at least one intermediate conveyor for transporting products from the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section to the at least one collecting device, wherein the intermediate conveyor comprises a plurality of transport units for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products and a shunting device.

The shunting device preferably comprises at least one directing group with at least one gate and at least one supply section.

In an embodiment, the shunting device further comprises a transit section or a sorting section.

In an embodiment, the collecting device is configured as a stacking device. In particular, in this embodiment the intra-logistics system is configured as a post-press processing installation for the production and processing of product units, in particular printed end products with printed product collections, comprising a plurality of products chosen from the group of jacket products and a plurality of part products and/or inserts configured in at least one stacking device into route-adapted stacks or packages, wherein at least a fraction of the print end products are target-specifically individualized product units. The post-press processing installation comprises a collecting section with a plurality of feeding devices and a collecting circuit with a plurality of receiving units for producing printed product collections, at least one intermediate conveyor for transporting the printed product collections from the collecting section to the at least one stacking device, wherein the intermediate conveyor comprises a plurality of transport units for the gripping and releasable holding of the products and a shunting device.

At least one of the plurality of feeding devices is advantageously a feeding device with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit with a plurality of transport units and a delivery conveyor, as previously described.

The length of the supply section is preferably chosen in such a manner that a plurality of product units or a plurality of transport units carrying product units, respectively, can be temporarily stored in the supply section.

It has proved advantageous for the length of the supply section to allow the temporary storage of a number of product units which, according to the production schedule, belong to at least one package. According to further preferred embodiments, the length of the supply line allows the temporary storage of a number of product units which, in accordance with the production schedule, belong to more than one package. If an error occurs during production of the product units, all correctly produced product units can be stored temporarily in the supply section, until the faulty are corrected or a correct product unit is subsequently produced. This corrected or subsequently produced product unit is transported to the shunting device where it is combined with the waiting product units into the correct sequence for a package.

For this purpose, the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is transported along with further product units deviating from the production sequence (sset) to the shunting device. In order to ensure that in each case the correct production units for a package to be produced in the collecting device can be supplied to the collecting device in the correct sequence, in this case the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is guided by means of the at least one gate separated from the remaining product units, preferably to the transit section. The remaining product units which together form a package in the correct sequence are preferably guided to a further supply section.

By means of an infeed gate, the product units lying in the correct sequence upstream of the corrected or subsequently produced product units are channeled from the supply section to the transit section. The corrected or subsequently produced product unit in this case can be slowed down and/or retained upstream of the infeed gate.

The gate is then switched in such a manner that the corrected or subsequently produced product unit can be guided in the correct sequence to the preceding product units. Finally, the remaining product units following in the correct package sequence are supplied, after the gate has been switched again, from the supply section behind the corrected or subsequently produced product unit. The group of product units for a package now present in the correct sequence can be conveyed onwards on to the collection device or to a packing device.

The transport units of the intermediate conveyor are particularly preferably independent of one another and are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another and, for example, are configured as freely movable carriages in a running rail with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers or pockets.

According to a further embodiment, a carriage in the directing group can be placed in storage by means of one or a plurality of gates on one of a plurality of supply sections in each case.

A carriage in the directing group can preferably be removed from storage actively or passively from one of a plurality of supply sections in each case and compiled by means of one or a plurality of gates with further carriages from the same and/or further supply sections into a predetermined sequence, wherein said sequence preferably coincides with the production sequence.

In a further embodiment as a post-press processing installation, the individualization of the product units to be produced does not take place, or does not only take place, through individual, i.e. target-specific compilation of the production collections, but instead a product unit in the form of an individualized printed end product is produced in such a manner that it comprises a printed product produced individually for the target (preferably in digital print).

This individually produced printed product may be an insert in the product collection and/or a jacket product or a wrapper which wraps the printed product collection or surrounds the printed product collection.

The jacket product may be a personalized printed product which is preferably selected from the group comprising: folded printed sheets, main or a partial product, envelope, which are each preferably target-specifically personalized.

According to further embodiments, the printed product collections are detachably connected to an adhesive element instead of the wrapping or in addition thereto.

In an embodiment, a personalized printed end product is produced in such a manner that the personalized printed end product has a printed product collection and an individually produced printed product which are adhered to one another. The printed product collection and the personalized printed product are, in particular, detachably adhered to one another, wherein the bond is configured in such a manner that it can be separated without damaging the products.

A production device for producing individualized print end products of this kind preferably comprises a control centre which is set up for the following steps: creation of end product specifications which each define at least one individualized printed end product, creation of sales orders based on end product specifications, wherein a sales order defines at least one sequence of printed product collections, and initiation of the creation, and creation, of digital print orders based on end product specifications and sales orders, wherein a digital print order defines at least one individualized printed product.

The control centre is, in addition, set up to control the following production steps: production of printed product collections in accordance with the sales orders using the collection section and the feeding devices, production using a digital print machine of individualized printed products in accordance with the digital print orders, and production using the collecting section and/or the jacketing device and/or an insertion device, of individualized printed end products from the printed product collections and individualized printed products produced.

The invention further relates to a method for operating an intra-logistics system according to the present description comprising the steps: i) collection of product compilations made up of a plurality of products in receiving units along a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section, wherein the products are fed in a controlled manner to the receiving units from at least one feeding device; and ii) transfer of the products and transportation to at least one collecting device, preferably for the production of collections or stacks or packages which takes place according to a product sequence Sact which preferably corresponds with a high degree of certainty to the production sequence sset thanks to the use of the preparation circuit and the control unit.

In an embodiment, following transfer from the supply conveyor to a transport unit of the preparation circuit, the products are transported from said preparation circuit to a delivery conveyor and delivered thereto, and the delivery conveyor then delivers the products to the designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section.

In an embodiment, the preparation circuit delivers the products in a controlled manner to the delivery conveyor.

With a controlled delivery, the delivery conveyor preferably only conveys a product into an oncoming receiving unit when a product of this kind is provided for this receiving unit. If this is not the case, no products are delivered.

The products are preferably held in the preparation circuit until a product of the type on standby is required for a receiving unit. When controlling the delivery, it is important for the length of the delivery conveyor to be taken into consideration, in order to ensure that the product required is delivered to the delivery conveyor sufficiently in advance, so that it can then be delivered by said conveyor to the correct receiving unit in good time. The delivery conveyors are preferably operated continuously.

In an embodiment, a control unit checks that the transport units of the preparation unit only leave the transfer point when they have received a product. An empty transport unit, i.e. a transport unit without a product, preferably reaches the transfer point at the same time as a product conveyed from the supply conveyor to the transfer point, is gripped by the holding means of the transport unit, preferably a gripper clamp, and transported away. If there is no product present, the transport unit is retained at the transfer point until a product is made ready for transfer. The uncoupling of the transport units from one another, as explained in the present description, allows this.

A check to determine whether a product has been supplied, or is being supplied, for transfer by a transport unit can preferably be made visually. It can preferably take place right at the transfer point or upstream in the delivery conveyor.

A check to determine whether a transport unit is present, or will be present, to receive the product supplied may likewise take place at the delivery point or upstream in the preparation circuit.

In an embodiment, the products are collected in the receiving units of the collecting section into product units, in particular end products with product collections, wherein at least a proportion of the end products are target-specifically individualized product units and wherein the end products are delivered in accordance with an actual product sequence (Sact) to at least one collecting device for the production of stacks or packages.

In an embodiment, after the product collections have been collected, the product units comprising the product collections are completed, the product units according to a product sequence (Sact) are transferred to a shunting device, the actual sequence of the individual product units of the product sequence (Sact) are compared with the planned sequence of product units according to a product sequence (Sset), the product units transported without any change to the sequence through the shunting device when the product sequence (sact) agrees with the production sequence (Sset) or a repair group comprising a plurality of product units with a sequence differing from the production sequence (Sset) is temporarily stored in a supply section of a directing group and subsequent corrected and/or subsequently produced product units compiled in the correct sequence with the product units of the repair group and the product units in the correct sequence are transported to at least one collecting device for the production of route-adapted packages or stacks.

Provided there have been no errors during the manufacture of the product units and the product sequence (sact) coincides with the production sequence (sset), the product units supplied can be led through by the shunting device without any change in their sequence. This preferably takes place on a transit section selected therefor.

Structurally speaking, this transit section need not be distinguished from the supply sections and, where necessary, it can also be used as a supply section. Likewise, a supply section can be used as transit section.

In a preferred method for operating a feeding device according to the present description, the following steps are executed: i) receiving of products by the transport units at a transfer point of the feeding device; ii) transportation of products to the transfer point of the transport units; iii) blocking of the transport units in the accumulation section by means of the barrier element; iv) release of the transport units by the barrier element; v) acceleration of the transport units in the acceleration section by the acceleration means.

In an embodiment of the method for operating a feeding device with transport units with buffer elements, the following steps are carried out: i) receiving of products by the transport units at a transfer point of the feeding device; ii) transportation of the products to the delivery point of the transport units; iii) blocking of the transport units at the transfer point by the barrier element, wherein at least one buffer element is loaded by abutting of the transport units; iv) release of at least one transport unit by the barrier element, wherein at least one buffer element is unloaded and at least the first transport unit is accelerated in the conveying direction by mechanical work of the at least one buffer element.

In an embodiment with buffer elements, during the release of the at least one transport unit by the barrier element, the transport units are separated and/or isolated and/or accelerated sequentially by mechanical work of the buffer elements in the conveying direction.

In an embodiment, the method is characterized by the additional steps: a) transfer of products from the transport units; b) return transport of empty transport units to the transfer point of the feeding device.

In an embodiment of the method with buffer elements, the method is characterized by the additional step: c) braking of the transport units upstream of the transfer point, preferably through loading of the buffer elements when the transport units accumulate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail with the help of the following figures and the associated descriptions. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows as a schematic plan view a first exemplary embodiment of an intra-logistics system as a post-press processing system with a collecting section with five feeding devices, each with a preparation circuit and a collecting conveyor, a jacketing station, an intermediate conveyor, two stacking devices and a delivery device;

FIG. 2 shows in a schematic plan view a second exemplary embodiment as a post-press processing system with a collecting section with eight feeding devices, a collecting conveyor, a jacketing station, an intermediate conveyor with a shunting device, comprising six supply sections in a directing group, two stacking devices and a delivery device;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a portion of a preparation circuit according to FIG. 1 with a portion of a running rail on which four freely movable transport units in the form of carriages with grippers transport a first type of printed products in suspended fashion;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a portion of a supply section of a directing group of a shunting device according to FIG. 2 with a portion of a running rail on which four freely movable transport units in the form of carriages with grippers transport a first type of finished printed products;

FIG. 5A shows in a schematic view a further exemplary embodiment of a collecting section according to the invention with feeding devices, two of which are configured as feeding devices, each with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit and a collecting conveyor;

FIG. 5B shows in a perspective detail enlargement the transfer of a printed product in a transfer point of the supply conveyor to a transport unit of a preparation circuit according to FIG. 5 a;

FIG. 5C shows in a perspective detail enlargement a delivery conveyor of a feeding device according to FIG. 5a , wherein the transfer of printed products from a transport unit of the preparation circuit to the delivery conveyor and the delivery of printed products to receiving units of the collecting section are depicted;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a feeding device;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a transport unit with a buffer element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an intra-logistics system as a post-press processing system in a schematic plan view. In a collecting section 2 with five feeding devices 3.1-3.5, collections of printed products D are produced. The feeding devices 3.1-3.5 each comprise a supply conveyor 31.1, a preparation circuit 32.1 with a plurality of transport units and a delivery conveyor which is not shown in FIG. 1. With the five feeding devices 3.1-3.5, up to five different types of printed products are delivered to a collecting circuit with a plurality of receiving units 21.

In this way, preferably target-specific collections of printed products are produced, which after passing through the collecting line in the exemplary embodiment shown, are covered in a jacketing station 8 with a preferably target-specifically produced jacket products, for example digitally printed folded sheets.

After the jacketing station 8, the product units P now completed in the correct product sequence are received by an intermediate conveyor 4, preferably a gripper transporter, which is able to transport and deliver the product units in the example shown to either one of the two stacking units 5.1, 5.2. The transport and delivery takes place according to a previously defined production schedule, so that all product units come in the correct sequence in the correct product for their distribution route.

Details of a delivery conveyor 33 according to a preferred embodiment can be inferred from FIG. 5C. The delivery conveyor 33 is configured as a belt conveyor in such a manner that it delivers the products D1, D2, D3, D4 individually from above to the designated receiving units 21 of the collecting line 2″. The printed products D1, D2, D3, D4 are deposited by individual transport units 324.4 of the preparation circuit onto a depositing region of the delivery conveyor arranged on the top side. By means of control means not shown in the figure, the delivery of products D1, D2, D3, D4 from the preparation circuit is controlled in such a manner that the delivery conveyor can run continuously at the speed adapted to the conveying speed of the receiving units.

If no product is required for a receiving unit, delivery of the product from the gripper of the corresponding transport unit can be omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 5C, this happened following delivery of the product D2. The following product D3 was only delivered after an interval of two cycles, so that in the product flow on the delivery conveyor 33 a gap of two product cycles has occurred. Following delivery of the products D1 and D2 into two consecutive receiving units 21, the two subsequent consecutive receiving units 21 are not supplied with products. Two more products D3 and D4 are then delivered into the receiving units.

The fact that the products D1, D2, D3, D4 can be transported in and delivered in a controlled manner in a continuous sequence by the transport units is ensured in that at one delivery point of the supply conveyor 31 a printed product D1, D2, D3 is delivered in each case to a transport unit of a preparation circuit 32, as is depicted in FIG. 5B. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the clip arranged on the carriage 324.1 has gripped a product D1 and has been conveyed with the carriage by means not depicted in the figure in the conveying direction from the acceptance point away in the direction of the delivery conveyor. The next products D2 supplied by the supply conveyor 31 were delayed in arriving at the delivery point and can now be received by the waiting transport unit with carriage 324.2. The short waiting time does not have negative repercussions, thanks to the unsynchronized conveying system in the preparation circuit.

In a schematic side view in FIG. 3 of a portion of the preparation circuit according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 it can be seen that gaps between the individual transport units 321.3, 321.7 caused by the waiting time can be balanced out, or else reduced, with no problem thanks to the free movability of the carriages 324.1-324.4 on the running rail 323. In the depiction according to FIG. 3, the carriages 324.1-324.4 run in the conveying direction F on the running rail 323 from right to left through the image. The gripper clamps attached to the carriages are all closed and they all hold a printed product D1-D4. The leading carriage 324.1 has been slowed down by delay means not shown in the figure, so that the gap to the following carriage 324.2 has substantially reduced compared with the following carriages 324.3 and 324.4 which are each spaced further apart from one another. Since the four freely movable transport units in the form of carriages 324.1-324.4 each transport a first type of printed products D1-D4 in a suspended manner, the gap between these products D1-D4 is also reduced accordingly. In this way, it is very easy to ensure that the products can be delivered in the required number and without any interruption or gaps to the transfer conveyor and therefore to the receiving units of the collecting circuit.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a second exemplary embodiment as a post-press processing installation. In a collection section with eight feeding devices 3.1′ to 3.8′, collections of printed products are produced. The feeding devices 3.1′ to 3.8′ may be conventional feeders and/or feeding devices of the previously described type with a preparation circuit. A jacketing station 8 is arranged downstream of the collecting conveyor 2 in which the collections can be jacketed. Following the jacketing, a transfer unit 4 of an intermediate conveyor accepts the finished product units which preferably exist as printed end products with a target-specific product collection and/or a target-specific jacket. The intermediate conveyor comprises a shunting device 6 which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, has a transit section 621 and three supply sections 611 arranged on the left and right sides in each case. A directing group with five inlet gates, namely a 3-way gate 62 and four downstream 2-way gates 622, is arranged upstream of the six supply sections 611. Via the inlet gates 62, 622, incoming transport units in the form of carriages can be distributed in a controlled manner between the transit section or one of the supply sections 611.

Correctly compiled product units in the correct product sequence are preferably guided without a gate movement on the transit section 612 by the shunting device and processed into in-sequence packages in the two stacking devices arranged downstream.

If errors are made during the production of product units and if individual errors or a plurality of errors have to be corrected or subsequently produced, the correctly produced product units of a group can be diverted in the shunting device 6 via the inlet gates 62, 622 to a supply section and stored there temporarily.

A repair group of this kind will usually comprise a group of product units which are provided for a joint package.

The corrected or subsequently produced product unit is moved to the correct sequence position within its group in the shunting device. For this purpose, it is preferably guided on the transit section by the shunting device to an infeed gate 63. Depending on its position in the predefined package, the product units of the repair group preceding it are moved out of the supply section 611 via the infeed gates 6341, 63 to an ejection section 64, then the gates 63 are switched to the transit section and the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is inserted in the correct sequence. The gates 63 are then switched to the supply section with the remaining product units of the repair group and these are fed to the group in the correct sequence for the joint package.

If the corrected and subsequently produced product unit is conveyed between two package sequence groups, the bringing-together is very simple. The product units of the advancing group are guided via the infeed gates and the following group is preferably slowed down and held back/accumulated in the transit section until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is inserted into its group in the correct sequence.

In the event that the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is supplied in the middle of a group of product units for a foreign package, these associated product units are diverted in the directing group in the correct sequence to a supply section 611, the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is only conducted to the transit section and, as described above, is combined with its package group in the correct sequence. The group in temporary storage can then be conveyed from the supply section 611 to the stacking devices to form packages.

In the event that the production of corrected or subsequently produced product units should take place very quickly and in the event that the size and storage capacity of the shunting device allows this, the corrector group and all following package groups can be temporarily stored until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit arrives at the supply sections. In this case, the product units, including the corrected or subsequently produced product unit, can be delivered in the completely correct production sequence to the stacking devices and no manual adjustments need be made.

If production of the corrected or subsequently produced product units should take place very quickly and if the size and storage capacity of the shunting device allows this, the correction group and all following package groups can be temporarily stored until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit arrives at the supply sections. In this case, the product units, including the corrected or subsequently produced product unit, can be delivered in the completely correct production sequence to the stacking devices and no manual adjustment need take place.

If production of the corrected or subsequently produced product units should not take place quickly enough and/or if the size and storage capacity of the shunting device should not be sufficient to store temporarily the correction group and all following package groups until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit arrives at the supply sections, the correct sequence of the product units within all packages is nevertheless guaranteed. The package produced from the corrected sequence of product units must, however, still be moved into the correct position within the sequence of packages for the corresponding supply route.

FIG. 4 shows in a schematic side view how the gaps between the freely movable transport units in the form of carriages 324.5-324.8 can in turn be varied. The grippers 322.5-322.8 each hold a complete product unit P5-P6. While the product units P5 and P6 are still slightly spaced apart in a space-saving manner on the running rail 323 of a supply line, the products P7 and P8 are accelerated by conveying means which are not shown in the direction of infeed gates located outside the image detail. The conveying may take place actively in a completely supported manner or, in sections, also passively in a gravity-driven manner.

FIG. 5A shows in schematic view a further exemplary embodiment of a collecting section 2″ according to the invention with five feeding devices, three of which are configured as conventional feeding conveyors and two as feeding devices 3.1 and 3.2, each with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit and a delivery conveyor.

Thanks to their low error rate, it has proved advantageous for the new feeding devices to be retrofitted with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit and a delivery conveyor in each case, even in the case of existing collecting sections. They are then preferably used to convey very difficult printed products, for example very thin products, products with very poor paper quality or very smooth products or products that are very difficult to split up.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a supply device which is configured as an overhead conveying device 3.6. The overhead conveying device 3.6 is shown without transport units. The overhead conveying device 3.6 comprises a running rail 323′, a transfer point 3.61, a delivery point 3.62, a delivery conveyor 33′ and a return flow portion 3.63. The running rail 323′ is tilted sectionally, in particular to the delivery point 3.62, so that transport units can be driven by gravity in these sections. A barrier element (not shown in the figure) is arranged at the delivery point 3.62, by means of which transport units can be blocked in an accumulation section 3.65. In embodiments with buffer elements, the buffer elements of the transport units can be loaded by subsequent transport units by means of the mass thereof. Through acceleration from the delivery point 3.62, the transport units move in an acceleration section 3.64 parallel to a delivery conveyor 33′ at which the transport units can deliver products, e.g. printed products. The empty transport units are moved to the delivery point 3.61 again via the return flow section 3.63. At the delivery point 3.61 the empty transport units can receive products and be moved to the delivery point 3.62.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the transport unit 324.9. The transport unit 324.9 comprises a buffer element 324.91 which is attached to a surface 324.92 of the transport unit 324.9. The buffer element 324.91 is shown in an unloaded state. The transport unit 324.9 in the embodiment shown is a carriage with rollers 324.93 and 324.93′ and also a gripper 324.94. The transport unit 324.9 shown is particularly suitable for conveying printed products which can be taken up by the gripper 324.94. An opening or closing of the gripper 324.94 can be achieved in a known manner with a suitable crank via which the roller 324.93′ runs. The transport unit 324.9 has a stabilizing element 324.95 which is used to hold or align the required product, e.g. a printed product, in a preferred position. In the embodiment shown, the stabilization element 324.95 is configured as an elastic plastic tongue. 

1. A feeding device (3.1-3.6) for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″) of an intra-logistics system, the feeding device (3.1-3.6) comprising: a supply conveyor (31, 31.1), a preparation circuit (32, 32.1) with a plurality of transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) which are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another, an accumulation section (3.65) in which the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) can be accumulated, and an acceleration section (3.64) in which the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) can be accelerated, wherein the supply conveyor (31, 31.1) includes a transfer point (3.61) at which the products are each transferred to a transport unit (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) and wherein the feeding device (3.1-3.6) is configured to deliver the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″).
 2. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the feeding device (3.1-3.6) comprises a delivery conveyor (33, 33′) arranged relative to the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) so that the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) deliver the products to the delivery conveyor (33, 33′) and the delivery conveyor (33, 33′) delivers the products to designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″).
 3. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 2, wherein the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) is configured for controlled delivery of the products to the delivery conveyor (33) and/or the delivery conveyor (33) for controlled delivery of products to the designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″).
 4. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein a control unit is provided which checks that the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) only leave the transfer point when the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1, 324.9) have accepted a product.
 5. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) are conveyable on the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) independently of one another.
 6. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) comprise holding means, preferably hooks or grippers (322.5-322.8, 324.94) or pockets for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products.
 7. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) are configured as carriages (324, 324.1-324.9) with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers (322.5-322.8, 324.94) or pockets, said carriages being freely moveable on a running rail (323, 323′).
 8. An intra-logistics system comprising a feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1 and a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″) with receiving units (21).
 9. The intra-logistics system according to claim 8, wherein the intra-logistics system comprises at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2) and at least one intermediate conveyor (4) for transporting products from the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″) to the at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2), wherein the intermediate conveyor (4) comprises a plurality of transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products and a shunting device (6).
 10. The intra-logistics system according to claim 9, wherein the shunting device (6) comprises at least one directing group with at least one gate (62) and at least one supply section (611).
 11. The intra-logistics system according to claim 9, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the intermediate conveyor (4) are independent of one another and are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another and are preferably configured as freely movable carriages (324.1-324.9) in a running rail (323, 323′) with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers (322.5-322.8, 324.94) or pockets.
 12. The intra-logistics system according to claim 11, further comprising a carriage (324.1-324.9) in the directing group placed in storage by one or a plurality of gates (62, 622) on one of a plurality of supply sections (611) in each case.
 13. The intra-logistics system according to claim 12, wherein the carriage (324.1-324.9) in the directing group can be removed from storage actively or passively from one of a plurality of supply sections (611) in each case and compiled by one or a plurality of gates (63, 631) with further carriages (324.1-324.9) from the same and/or further supply sections (611) into a predetermined sequence.
 14. A method for operating an intra-logistics system according to claim 8, comprising the steps: i) collection of product compilations made up of a plurality of products in receiving units (21) along a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″), wherein the products are fed in a controlled manner to the receiving units (21) from at least one feeding device (3.1-3.6); and ii) transfer of the products and transportation to at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2), for the production of collections or stacks or packages which takes place according to a product sequence S_(act).
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, following the transfer from the supply conveyor (31, 31.1) to a transport unit (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1), the products are transported from said preparation circuit to a delivery conveyor (33) and delivered thereto and the delivery conveyor (33) then delivers the products to the designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″).
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) delivers the products in a controlled manner to the delivery conveyor (33).
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein a control unit checks that the transport units (3213, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) only leave the transfer point when they have received a product.
 18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the products are collected in the receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2″) into product units, in particular end products with product collections, wherein at least a proportion of the end products are target-specifically individualized product units and wherein the end products are delivered in accordance with an actual product sequence (Sact) to at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2) for the production of stacks or packages.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein after the product collections have been collected, the product units comprising the product collections are completed, the product units according to a product sequence (S_(act)) are transferred to a shunting device (6), the actual sequence of the individual product units of the product sequence (S_(act)) are compared with a planned sequence of product units according to a product sequence (S_(set)), the product units transported without any change to the sequence through the shunting device (6) when the product sequence (sact) agrees with the production sequence (S_(set)) or a repair group comprising a plurality of product units with a sequence differing from the production sequence (S_(set)) is temporarily stored in a supply section (611) of a directing group and subsequent corrected and/or subsequently produced product units compiled in the correct sequence with the product units of the repair group and the product units in the correct sequence are transported to at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2) for the production of route-adapted packages or stacks. 